Gear-shift lever



O. A; ANDERSON GEAR SHIFT LEVER Original Filed April 25, 1921 Sept). 8, 1925.

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Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED ,STATES OLAF A.` ANDERSON, OF HAMILTON, OHIO.

GEARLSHIFT LEVER.

Original application led April 25, 1921, Serial No. 464,121. Dividedand this application led .Tune 9,

1922. lSerial No.` 566,988.

To all wlw/m t may Concern: i

Be it known that l, OLAF A. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Hamilton, countyY of Butler, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gear-Shift Levers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tolocking devices for motor vehicles and more particularly to devices for rendering the usual gear-shift lever of a motor vehicle inoperative.

One of the objects of kthe invention is to provide a device of the type referred to by which theV gear-shift lever may be rendered ino-perative in any of its positions and l,without regard to whether the gears are in mesh or in neutral. A further. object of the invention is toprovide a locking device which will render the gear-shift lever ineffective to shift the gears although permitting the lever to be moved freely in one plane.

Another object of the'invention is to provide a locking device which maybe controlled by a key adapted to be inserted in a lock at the top of the'gear-shift lever and in which the key will be entirely housed within the usual knob at the top of the lever when the lever is operative. f

Other objects of the invention and the features of novelty willv be. apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: f f, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a lever embodying my invention,

Fig.` 2 isa transverse sectionon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a'seotion on the line3-3 of Fig. l

This application lis a division Of my application 464,121, filed April 25, 1921. The form of the invention illustrated comprises a lever formed in two sections, the section 12 'representing the gear-shifting section and the section 13 the handle. These two sections are 'secured together by a ball and socket joint which consists of the ball 15 on the section 12 and the socket inthe part 14 on the section 13. As will be noted from the drawings the part 14 has a spherical eXterior and is thus adapted for universal movement in a suitable socket in the transmission casing of the vehicle.

The sections 12 and 13 are provided withA aligned openings on opposite sides of the ,ball and socket oint connecting the sections and 1nl these Openings there is arranged a coil spring 67 which not only exerts a Vseparating pressure on the sections but prevents relative swinging movement between the sections except in a single plane and the movement in this plane is permitted by the enlargement of the Opening in the sections 12, as indicated at 12.V As will be noted from Fig. 3,.the opening 12"'is elongated although the sides thereof closelylt Ythe spring67-` f f Y i Theball 15 is retained in the'socket in the part 14 by means of'the .member 16 ,which has an Opening 66 through whichV the section 12 projects andjwhich is adapted to receive the liange at the top of themember 60, to rigidly connect the sections 'togetherI and prevent relative swinging movement therebetween.` A plunger 59 isslidably arranged inthe section 12 and is connected with the member 6,0V by means ofa pin 61 which projects through elongated slots 61 in the 4section 12, theseslots permitting movement of the plunger 59v and the member up and downV on the section 12. I

Arranged on the upper end of the section 13 is a rotatable knob 25. There is also secured in the upper end of thesection 13, by a pin20, or in any other suitable manner, a plug or adapter 2O which., in turn, Vhas rigidly secured to it, as by the threads 21 and pin 22, the barrel 23 `of a` pin lock. The cylinder 24 of this lock is housed "ein an opening in the knob y25, this knob being formed of two sections which yare screwed` together at '26. The cylinder 24 andthe knob 25 are/secured together against rela-y j and is held against rotationrelative to the knob by a pin 31. The lock, comprising the barrel 23 and the cylinder 24, therefore, serves to secure the knob 25 against rotation on the handle 13 when the key 32 is removed from the barrel 23, according to the well known principle of the'v pin lock illustrated. j

A flexible rod 68 isattached to the plunger 59 land connects the latter with a block 37 that is slidable in the upper end Vof the'isection 13 of theLlever and carriesa cross pin 38, the-opposite ends of p'which'rproject through elongated slots in the*` section 13 and into the spiral slots 40 in the sleeve Q8. Thus, when the knob 25 is rotated in the left hand direction, the parts being as shown in Fig. 2, the ends of the cross pin 38 will-traverse the spiral slots 40 and thereby lift the block 37, as well as the plunger 59 and member 60, until the latter enters the opening 66 and locks the lever sections rigidly together. When the knob 25 is rotated in the opposite direction the member 60 will be withdrawn from the opening 66 and permit one section of the lever to be swung relatively to the other. the block 37 and a plug 69, secured in the section 13 by the pin 70, normally tends to lift the block 87 and thus tends to move the member 60 into the opening 66.

lVhen the key 32' is removed from the lock the knob 25 is secured against rotation and the parts are so arranged thatl the key is removed only when the member 60 is out of the opening 66, thereby permitting relative movement of the lever section and preventing the use of the lever for shifting gears. By inserting the key in the lock and rotating the knob the member 60 is caused to enter the opening 66, thereby locking the -lever sections together and causing them to act as a unit.

The spring 67, being laterally iiexed by a relative swinging movement between the lever'sections, from the relation shown in Fig. l, tends to retain the lever sections, in the relation shown-inFig. l, when the member 60 is out of the opening 66.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

l. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever comprising two sections hinged together, means whereby said sectionsy may Vbe'connected so as to act as a unit, andr spring means within said sections adapted tofretainthem in their normal relation when the first-mentioned means is positioned to permit relative movement between the sections.

2. In a device of the class' described, the combination of ar lever comprising two sections hinged together by a ball and 'socket joint, means whereby said sections may be connectedso as to act as a unit, and a spring arranged in said ball and socket joint adapted to restrict relative movement between. said sections substantially to a single plane and also to retain said sections in their normal relation when the first-mentioned means is positioned topenmit relative movement between the sections.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever comprising two sections connected by aball and socket joint, means within said sections adapted torestrict .relative movement between the sections substantially to a single plane, and a member slidable on the exterior of one of A spring 7l arranged between said sections into engagement with the other section to prevent relative movement between the sections in. said plane.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a lever comprising a plurality of sections connected by a ball and socket joint, the socket of one section having a relatively large opening `through which the other section projects and which permits relative movement between the sections, of a member slidable on said other section into said opening and adapted to prevent relative movement between the sections..

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a lever comprising a plurality oi" sections connected by a ball and socket joint, the socketfof one section having a relatively large opening through which the other section projects and which permits relative movement between the sections, or' a member slidable on said other section into said opening and adapted to prevent relative movement between the sections, and means slidably arranged in said sections and connected with said member for actuating the latter.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever comprising two Sections hinged together and having normally aligned openings therein, a coil spring arranged in said openings and adapted to yieldingly hold said'sections in their normal relation, and means for rigidlyconnecting said sections so that they will act as a unit.

7. Inv a device of the class described, the combination of a lever comprising two sections. hinged together by a ball and socket joint and having longitudinally extending openings therein, a coil spring in said openings to!v yieldingly retain said sections in their normal relation, one of saidv sections having the said opening therein enlarged toV permit said sectiony to have a yswinging movement in Va single plane relative to the other section,l andi' means fork rigidly connectin'g said sections so'that they will act as a unit.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever comprising two vse-ctions hinged together and adaptedcfor relative swinging movement in a single plane, said sections having aligned openings on opposite sides of the joint therebetween, a coil spring arranged in said openings and adapted to be laterally flexed by the relative swinging movements of said sections, means for rigidly connecting said sectiofns so that they will .act as a unit, and` a ilexible rod extending through said coil spring and con* nected with the last-mentioned means for actuating' the same.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

OLAF A. ANnnnsoN. 

